Names to know on the Red Sox draft board

Thursday

Jun 6, 2013 at 5:47 PM

BOSTON -- As the first pick in Thursday night's draft draws near, the Red Sox draft board is just about set. Boston will pick at No. 7, its highest pick since 1993. Wondering who the potential franchise-changer could be? It would be a stunner if the

Brian MacPherson Journal Sports Writer brianmacp

BOSTON -- As the first pick in Thursday night's draft draws near, the Red Sox draft board is just about set. Boston will pick at No. 7, its highest pick since 1993. Wondering who the potential franchise-changer could be? It would be a stunner if the Red Sox pick was not one of the following five players -- ranked in order of most to least likely to be the pick:

CLINT FRAZIER
The righthanded-hitting Frazier is seen as having the best bat speed in the draft and the best power among high-school hitters. He hit two home runs when he faced off against fellow Loganville, Ga., native Austin Meadows at a game mobbed by evaluators earlier this spring. The 6-foot-1 Frazier is less likely than Meadows to be able to stick in center field. He instead projects to move to an outfield corner. Discomfort limited his arm strength this spring, and how well he bounces back will determine whether he's more of a left fielder or a right fielder.

As often is the case with high-school hitters, whether Frazier grows into a star -- or even a major-leaguer -- will depend on how well he handles advanced breaking pitches. He already swings and misses quite a bit against high-school pitching. He'll have to learn to recognize and hit the repertoires of pitchers at each level of the minor leagues on the way up.

AUSTIN MEADOWS
A safer bet to stay in center field than his Loganville, Ga., neighbor Frazier, Meadows stands out for his size -- 6-foot-3, 200 pounds -- and athleticism. He's more of a five-tool player than Frazier -- particularly given the way he runs and throws -- but he's more raw, too.

The lefthanded-hitting Meadows has something of a line-drive swing but still projects to hit for power. One concern scouts have had about him has been the energy level with which he plays -- in contrast to Frazier, an all-out, all-the-time player -- but that might just be nit-picking. He has a commitment to play at Clemson.

KOHL STEWART
Stewart could be destined to be a difficult sign because he holds a commitment to play football at Texas A&M. But he's also the consensus best high-school pitcher in the draft, a righty who throws in the mid-90s with a power slider as well as a curveball and changeup -- and if he goes to Texas A&M, he'll have to wait his turn behind Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel.

He'd be the first high-school pitcher the Red Sox have selected in the first round since Casey Kelly in 2008. Kelly -- who likewise had a college football scholarship in his pocket, in his case to Tennessee -- later was traded to San Diego in the Adrian Gonzalez deal.

COLIN MORAN
The best pure hitter in the draft, Moran offers simultaneously the highest floor and probably the most limited upside of any player near the top of the draft. He hit .348 with a .478 on-base percentage -- fourth-best in the ACC -- and .557 slugging percentage at North Carolina this season. His ability to control the strike zone almost certainly is what appeals most to the Red Sox. He has struck out 22 times but drawn 60 walks, a remarkable ratio.

The question is whether Moran has the athleticism stay at third base. If he can do so, he can hit for enough power to be a major-league regular at that position. He's not a particularly fast runner and doesn't have elite feet -- but he does have terrific hands. If he has to move to first base, his minimal power limits his ability to be an impact major-league player.

A selection of Moran would be a safer pick -- but it wouldn't be the "swing for the fences" pick Amiel Sawdaye referenced on Wednesday.

RYNE STANEK
An inconsistent spring might have scared some teams off Stanek, but the Red Sox have benefited from inconsistent springs that belie true talent before -- think Jackie Bradley Jr. and Anthony Ranaudo. The big difference here is that Bradley and Ranaudo went in the supplemental first round while Stanek would be going No. 7 overall. Still, it's not like Stanek struggled this spring -- he posted a 1.87 ERA with 59 strikeouts and 26 walks in 67 1/3 innings in 12 starts at Arkansas. He made two starts for Team USA last summer, striking out nine and walking four in 11 innings. The Red Sox have a lengthy track record of collecting Team USA standouts, so Stanek would that mold.

Stanek pitches in the mid-90s with a curveball, a slider and a changeup. He's more of a No. 2 starter -- or maybe even a closer long-term -- than a true ace, but the chance at a true ace in this draft probably will come off the board once Mark Appel, Jonathan Gray and Kohl Stewart do.